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[sdpd] Software Patents: vote at EU Parliament on July 5th and 6th

	Dear all,

  The 2nd reading of the software patent directive at the European Parliament 
is IN ONE WEEK. Debate on the 5th, vote on the 6th of july.

QUICK RESUME:

   During the 1st reading, 1 1/2 year ago the European Parliament amended the 
original text, to exclude "pure" software (i.e. not controlling a machine (a 
plane, a car's braking system,...)), therefore excluding the software and 
algorithms used in crystallography, and generally most free software.
   Unfortunately the EU Commission, under the pressure of the largest software 
companies, ignored these amendments. The text now presented in 2nd reading at 
the Parliament is *worse* than the first one.

   Much lobbying has been going on against software patents, from SME and 
individuals, but that is still less than from the professional lobbyists from 
Microsoft & co.

   If you want to fight against software patents, NOW is the last time to 
contact your representatives at the EU Parliament. Bear in mind that for a 
2nd reading, it is *more* difficult to pass an amendment, due to different 
voting rules (absolute majority required). The odds are currently against us.

WHAT SHOULD BE TOLD TO THE Members of the EU PARLIAMENT:

  - They should vote for the amendments proposed by M Rocard, official 
rapporter for this directive at the Parliament- these amendments would 
exclude "pure" software and algorithms, which is what we need. More detailled 
voting recommendations are available from the FFII 
(http://europarl.ffii.org/amendments.en.html)

  - We are only asking the EU Parliament Members to pass the *same* amendments 
as in the first reading, and therefore to send a strong democratic signal to 
the Commission

  - You can also quote the statement against patents on software and 
algorithms from the European Crystallographic Association from 2003/08/28 
(http://www.ecanews.org/hotnews.htm - browse down two pages to read it)

  For more information, and possible actions:
http://noepatents.eu.org

	Vincent
-- 
Vincent Favre-Nicolin
http://objcryst.sourceforge.net/
Université Joseph Fourier http://www.ujf-grenoble.fr/
CEA/DRFMC/SP2M/NRS        http://www-drfmc.ceng.cea.fr/SP2M/sp2m/


 
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